[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26679-26680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09564]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 3063-021]


Blackstone Hydro Associates; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms 
and Conditions, and Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 3063-021.
    c. Date filed: July 31, 2019.
    d. Applicant: Blackstone Hydro Associates (BHA).
    e. Name of Project: Central Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Blackstone River, in the City of Central Falls, 
Providence County, Rhode Island. No federal lands are occupied by the 
project works or located within the project boundary.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Robert Leahy, 130 Prospect Street, 
Cambridge, MA 02139; Phone at (617) 491-2320, or email at 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: John Baummer, (202) 502-6837 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions: 60 days from 
the issuance date of this notice; reply comments are due 105 days from 
the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and protests, comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and prescriptions using the Commission's eFiling system at 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the 
end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing 
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each 
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to 
the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a 
particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document 
on that resource agency.
    k. This application has been accepted for filing and is ready for 
environmental analysis at this time.
    l. Project Description: The existing Central Falls Project consists 
of: (1) A 190-foot-long, 24-foot-high, curved granite-masonry dam 
(Valley Falls Dam); (2) an approximately 64.5-acre impoundment with a 
normal maximum elevation of 49.5 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum 
of 1929; (3) a granite block and wood-framed gatehouse that is adjacent 
to the dam and that contains ten gates that are 9 feet wide by 6 feet 
tall; (4) a 290-foot-long, granite block-lined headrace; (5) an intake 
structure with two 8-foot-high hydraulic gates and 24-foot-wide, 11.5-
foot-high, inclined trashracks having 3-inch clear bar spacing; (6) two 
30-foot-long, 7-foot-diameter penstocks; (7) an approximately 53-foot-
long, 32-foot-wide concrete powerhouse containing two Allis-Chalmers 
tube turbines with a total installed capacity of 700 kilowatts (kW); 
(8) an approximately 1,200-foot-long, 36-foot-wide tailrace; (9) two 
55-foot-long, 480-volt generator lead lines; and (10) appurtenant 
facilities.
    BHA operates the project as a run-of-river facility, such that 
outflow from the project approximates inflow. The project bypasses 
approximately 0.3 mile of the Blackstone River. A 108-cubic feet per 
second (cfs) minimum flow is released over the dam into the bypassed 
reach. BHA discharges a continuous minimum flow of 238 cfs, or inflow, 
whichever is less, as measured at the confluence of the tailrace and 
the river channel. The average annual generation of the project is 
approximately 1,230 megawatt-hours (MWh).
    BHA proposes to: (1) Continue operating the project in a run-of-
river mode; (2) retrofit the two existing turbines with variable pitch 
blade runners to allow for the project to be operated at different 
flows; (3) install a new bypassed flow pipe to provide a minimum flow 
of 210 cfs to the bypassed reach, approximately 215 feet downstream of 
the dam; (4) install a new 160-kW Natel Energy turbine-generator unit 
in the proposed bypassed flow pipe to increase the project's capacity 
and provide downstream fish passage; (5) install a new trashrack with 
1-inch clear bar spacing in the headrace to prevent fish impingement 
and entrainment; (6) install a new downstream fish passage facility in 
the headrace, immediately upstream of the new trashrack; (7) maintain a 
13-cfs aesthetic flow over the Valley Falls Dam; (8) provide a flow of 
up to 3 cfs to the adjacent historic canal; (9) install an upstream eel 
passage facility at the project dam; and (10) install 20 long-eared bat 
boxes and implement a Northern Long Eared Bat Management and Protection 
Plan to protect bats. BHA estimates the project enhancements will 
result in an average annual generation of approximately 3,200 MWh.
    m. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well 
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) via 
the internet through the Commission's Home Page (http://www.ferc.gov) 
using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last 
three digits in the docket number field to access the document (P-
3063). At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the 
Commission's

[[Page 26680]]

Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a National 
Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) issued by 
the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC at 
[email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3673 or (202) 
502-8659 (TTY).
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action 
to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with 
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any 
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST'', ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or ``PRESCRIPTIONS;'' 
(2) set forth in the heading the name of the applicant and the project 
number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the 
name, address, and telephone number of the person protesting or 
intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 
385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and 
otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may 
obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. A copy of 
any protest or motion to intervene must be served upon each 
representative of the applicant specified in the particular 
application. A copy of all other filings in reference to this 
application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons 
listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this 
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
    o. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of this notice: (1) A copy of the water quality 
certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including 
proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; 
or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.
    p. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as 
appropriate.

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                    Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of interventions, protests, comments,      June 2020.
 recommendations, preliminary terms and
 conditions, and preliminary fishway
 prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental Assessment......  November 2020.
Comments on Environmental Assessment............  December 2020.
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    Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

    Dated: April 29, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-09564 Filed 5-4-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P